Ethel Ohlin Bradford

Main menu

Post navigation

Every Body Is Different

And different in a far deeper manner than the obvious female/male way, too. Stay with me. My mind wanders here and there, and when something interests me, I follow, and my next step is to write about it. Like today, I’m writing of breathing. Yeah, in-haling and ex-haling.

Before you switch to some other place on the Web, take a moment to watch your breathing and you might notice that one nostril is more ‘open’ than the other. In other words, one nostril is dominant, and long ago when I noticed this, I used lots of Vicks.

But I found that the nostrils weren’t clogged, for if you keep randomly checking, you’ll find that the other nostril is then the dominant one. That they switch.

Well, it’s a happening that was known to the ancient Yogis thousands of years ago, and while they knew nothing of right-brain, left-brain stuff, the idea is somewhat the same. They weren’t so dumb even though they wore/wear odd clothing and live in caves and forests.

We breath equally with both nostrils only at certain times, and these times are always ones of danger, crisis, great awareness, crucial moments of danger. Vital moments.

Birth time is one such time for both mother and child, and those primal screams come with both nostrils going at full steam. Of course if the mother is drugged into unconsciousness, who knows? I’m speaking of when we’re awake and aware.

And death, birth’s opposite, is the same. Both nostrils, and sometimes for a few days or hours before that vital last action and it was one of the ways the old Yogis knew of their coming Change and sent word out for their students and friends to gather.

Stay with me because the equal times get more interesting and not all with our Beginning and End. Sexual climax comes with both nostrils equal, if you can remember to check. If you see an accident coming, all your senses are suddenly alert and again, if you have time to check, you’re using both nostrils. Equally. We’re alert, awake, aware. Both nostrils going at full steam. Sudden, alarming noises, earthquakes, fires, you name the fright and you’ll find both nostril equally at work.

Such a simple (?) thing as turning over in the night causes the nostrils, wham, bang, to switch dominance and here the old Yogis weren’t sure, (like the chicken and the egg), which came first? Do the nostrils switch and then we turn over, or do we turn over and then the nostrils switch. If you find out, you’re one smart person.

The Alternate Breathing techniques taught in various Meditation groups are exercises to help us become awake, and I don’t know how, but to become aware of our bodies (minds?) going from objective to subjective moods. In some way we are subtly ‘different’ with these unasked-for changes.

If you’re easily amused, as I am, it’s fun to watch these breathing changes, because it can change within a few seconds, and then back again as your activities change back and forth.

And then nothing to do with breathing, but there’s the simple action of crossing our arms over our chests. Do it right now, and see which hand goes under the other arm and then try it make it the other way. The one way is so natural we do not even think of it, and the other way is awkward and difficult. Not natural or comfortable.

Then try the universal action of ‘folding your hands’. So simple, every school child is told to do so as the Teacher wants their undivided attention. So as you do it, you find one way to do it is right and the other awkward and unnatural. But if you note, people differ in how they do such an everyday thing.

Also, when serious meditators use the Lotus Position with their feet placed over the thigh of the opposite leg, you’ll discover the same variance. Train all you wish, but with one person, the right foot is on top and with others it’s the left.

Every B-O-D-Y is different. And the old mediation mantra of ‘Watch Your Breathing’ has more meaning than we recognize, and is not just a way of keeping your attention to the moment. Try these ‘oddities’: the changing of the dominant nostril, and, and also how you cross your arms and fold your hands. There are many others, but there are also times I step back and do not try them out, but that’s my choice.

It’s a funny world, and I don’t mean a funny ha-ha, either, but funny peculiar. Try these ‘foolish’ exercises and see your own b-o-d-y from a different aspect. And I’ll see you next week and be just ordinary Ethel. I think.